I was at Columbia Elementary School last week and I met Chandra Expose, a lady who looked like she had her stuff together. When I inquired about her position, she said, "Oh, I am just a counselor." That hit me a certain way, and I knew it would be my next topic for my column.
Of course, what she was saying was that she is not the superintendent, the principal or the assistant principal. I do not know Expose other than that brief encounter, but I do know that she is not "just" anything.
A title is just that-a title. We all put our pants on the same way. What matters is how we live our lives, how we do our jobs and how we affect others.
I have known many people with big titles, but that did not make them special. Sometimes, it even made them less than special because of their abuse of their position or the fact that they wasted an opportunity that was given to them instead of someone else who might have made a difference in their place.
I have also known many people with no titles who had huge hearts and affected others in such a positive way that their title or position did not matter. Those people have had power they did not know they possessed. They made a difference in people's lives if only for an hour, a day or a year.
Expose may be "just a counselor," but what else is she? What lies underneath her title? How does she affect her coworkers and the students she deals with? I don't know the answers to any of those questions, but anyone's name can be substituted into those questions. Each one of us can look at ourselves and see if we are "just," or if we are more than just our titles.
When you look at yourself, do you see someone who is just in a position, or do you see someone who is making an impact? Do the people around you at work, at home and in life feel positive when you are near? Or do they wish you would take the day off, not come home or not come around? Do you earn their respect in the way you deal with them, or do you belittle them, ignore them or betray them?
Society uses titles to make people feel superior or inferior with just a word. All people are equal. Nobody is better than someone else just because of their position in life. Yes, there is a "chain of command" in most jobs, but when two individuals are not at that job, neither one is better than or more important than the other.
Power, importance and being special should not be determined by a title. We should not say, "I am just a housewife," "I am just a waitress," " I am just a trash collector" and so on.
A person should not hold themselves back if they want more. Nobody should remain in a lower position if they know they should be more. If you want to be the principal, go for it. Don't hold back because you may just be the person who can make a difference.
I went to Woodlawn Prep Tuesday for the C-P's In the Halls section and asked students who they admired or who was their hero. None of them said they admired that person because of a title. They all chose people because of the way those people made them feel, made their lives better or the way they carried themselves. I don't know the titles of any of the people listed by them. I don't even know if they have titles.
What matters is that they aren't just people with titles occupying a space. They make a difference in the lives of others. If that isn't the point, then what is?
Beth Riles is a staff writer for The Columbian-Progress. She may be reached at (601) 736-2611 or eriles@columbianprogress.com.
